We already know the ending, which helps us know there is nothing to fear.
When I was a child, I wasn't much of a reader. I was more of a “look at the pictures and claim I read” reader instead. However, as I got older, I started loving books and truly became a reader. I couldn't wait to read a book from beginning to end, but I had the bad habit of wanting to read the end first. The anticipation of not knowing the ending would weigh on me, and I'd glance at the last few pages of the book.
Safe to say, it never ruined a book for me because it never gave direct wordage, such as “they lived happily ever after” or “x character died.” The ending was just that—the ending—and I had to read the entire book before I could fully understand the last few pages.
Similar to what I did when I was younger, we can be tempted to know what the end of things will look like in our own life circumstances. Will this new relationship end in marriage? Will this new pregnancy end in a baby? Will this new job interview end in a career?
Not knowing the ending can be stressful and cause us to fall into many anxious patterns. However, by looking to the Lord, we will be more equipped to face what is coming. Even without knowing the exact ending of what is to come, we all know our ultimate ending is found in Jesus. This is truly the “happily ever after" all of us have been waiting for.
Life Here Is Temporary
I'm not going to lie, life is hard and can be overwhelming. I'm taken back at times when I hear people say, “I just love life!” While I'm happy they are enjoying their time here, I'm shocked that they haven't had enough bad times to dampen such optimism. I understand you might see this as pessimistic, but if you had lived through what I have, you would say the same thing.
The truth of the matter is that bad things happen in this world and sometimes it is hard to see anything good. We just see disaster after disaster. I remember when our family dog passed away. It was right before I turned eighteen. Our dog had been with us since I was in the second grade; she was with me while I was growing up.
When she passed away on a cold February morning, I felt like my world was going to end. And in a way it did. My sister has often referred to this as the end of her childhood because her best friend was now gone. The death of our family dog changed our lives in a very negative way, but I truly thought this would be the worst thing to happen for at least another twenty years.
Sadly, I was wrong. My mom passed away later this same year and my life was forever torn apart. Nothing can prepare you for the death of your mom. The pain that washes over you is intense. You experience daily crying to the point you no longer have tears, heartache, an immense longing for her return, and denial that anything has happened. While I have worked through much of this in therapy, I would be lying to say it still doesn't affect me.
My mom won't be here for the rest of my life and that is something I have to cope with for the remainder of my time on earth. Not everyone has to do this and it is not something to be downplayed. However, I also understand others are going through their own battles. Maybe your mom is still here, but you have a bad relationship with her, you never knew your dad, or you are trying to heal from the abuse your parents inflicted on your life.
All pain is valid, even though it may be different from someone else’s. I once knew someone who always tried to turn everything into a competition. She tried to “outdo” me by making her pain seem more severe, all the while downplaying mine. It went as far as she would make things up just to have “more pain” than me. She lied about her pain and made up elaborate stories, but my pain has always been real. The death of my family dog, the death of my mom, struggling with a myriad of mental health problems, and being diagnosed with an autoimmune illness are all things I wish were stories, yet they are my reality.
The Good and the Bad
You have your own life with all of the highs and lows unique to you. Thankfully, just because things are going well now doesn’t mean “the other shoe will fall.” Some people simply ride different highs and lows because of the family they were born into, the network of people they have, the community they create, etc.
I grew up middle class, but by the time I was homeschooled, my family and I were struggling. My mom was working close to twenty-hour shifts and picking up any other jobs she could, such as creating an “Etsy” account, selling art, and making candles. My sister and I would help her as we were trying our best to make a bad situation good.
Not everyone has to go through this, yet again, I know that growing up in wealth also comes with its own challenges. I knew a girl who grew up in a wealthy family. She was a well-behaved kid in school and always got straight A’s. However, once she hit high school, she would drink her mom and dad’s alcohol. I haven’t spoken to her in a long time, but it seems to be that she has drifted far from her family and is bent on doing self-destructive things.
In this situation, one could say wealth didn’t bring the family together. No matter how we look at things, there will always be the good and the bad. Some days might be full of bad things and other days might be full of good things. We will never know what each day will hold until we get to the end of it, but regardless, we need to keep pushing forward because each day we live on this earth is a day we are able to fulfill God's plan for our lives.
The New Heaven and New Earth
While we don’t know how we will die, we do know our final destination is with the Lord in the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21). This world might hold nothing but pain for us, yet in the end, we will be with the Lord. Whenever I reflect on this truth, it somehow makes the pain and agony more bearable. It doesn’t make it go away; however, it does provide the healing my soul needs.
Regardless of our life situations, we are awaiting our eternal home (Hebrews 13:14). Within this home, we will be united with Christ and reunited with our family members who passed before us. In truth, the Lord has blessed us beyond measure by giving us this promise. For everyone who places faith in Him, they will be given the gift of salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life (John 3:16-17).
Granted, things are hard right now, but there are better things ahead. We already know the ending, which helps us know there is nothing to fear. As God says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
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